BRUIN AND THE DOCTOR. 325 



surprised by the unforeseen event, I was among the 

 laggards. 



Quite otherwise was it with our valiant little man. He 

 rode from fifty to sixty paces in advance of everybody. 

 His gallant pony carried him, with the swiftness of light- 

 ning, in the direction of the nearest bear. The animal, 

 seeing these unknown visitors approach, and ignorant as 

 yet in what way he should receive them, had risen on his 

 hind-paws, and sniffed noisily, turning his head from side 

 to side with a ferocious yet stupid air. The little man con- 

 tinued to advance, and had already raised his spear to 

 stick the brute before the latter had made up his mind for 

 fight or flight. Deciding at length on the latter course, 

 he waddled away in the manner peculiar to his race. The 

 doctor pursued him so hotly that he several times touched 

 his back with the end of his weapon ; and his pony, 

 carried forward in like manner by the ardour of the chase, 

 galloped almost alongside of the shaggy brute. 



This proved too much for Master Martin's patience, and, 

 incensed at the violence of the attack, he wheeled round 

 abruptly, and seized with his claws the pony's houghs. 

 Immediately the latter halted ; and the shock was so 

 violent that the cavalier, a second time unsaddled, was 

 shot over his charger's head. We saw him hovering for 

 a moment between earth and sky in so grotesque a posi- 

 tion, that, despite the imminent peril he was incurring, 

 his fall provoked a general burst of hilarity. 



Happily for our hero, the pony was much larger than 

 himself. Thanks to this circum stance, he absorbed for a 

 moment the entire attention of the bear, which gave our 

 maladroit cavalier sufficient time to rise, and run as fast 



